


Dishing to trouble

by purplefox



Category: Persona 3, Persona Series
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Established Relationship, M/M, Oneshot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-28
Updated: 2020-01-28
Packaged: 2021-02-27 11:07:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,052
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22446124
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/purplefox/pseuds/purplefox
Summary: They've grown up and have careers of their own. Shinji's job let's him hear some brats. If only those brats knew how close to trouble they really were
Relationships: Aragaki Shinjiro/Sanada Akihiko
Comments: 2
Kudos: 27





	Dishing to trouble

It was a dream that Shinji had not thought he would have been able to see. Back when he had still been a brat he had not even thought the dream would make it this far. That his work would extent to strangers. Doing the right thing was hard and caring for people was difficult.

People didn’t get it he knew that. Fighting and protecting was just one way to protect. Caring and protecting came from different places. While he liked a good workout and even now he could be stirred up for a good fight. Shinji preferred to fight in the kitchen rather than the streets.

If riffraff got into the shop and they wanted to cause a fuss? Shinji could call them out back and thrash them like they needed to be thrashed. Or he could make a special call but that was only when he wanted to sit back for once.

Or when he felt that people needed a break. His little restaurant was not made to be fancy or upscale. Plenty of his older friends liked to roll through from time to time. To check on him. To give him information or whatever.

All of them looked hilariously out of place in his place. Especially Mitsuru. Every single time she came over for dinner or to drop off files for Shinji or gear or some stupid report. She was always glaringly out of place. She never let it get to her that woman. Shinji could appreciate that.

The rest of them liked to turn up as they liked. They all stuck out like sore thumbs but that was fine too. misfits. That was them back then and it fit that they didn’t blend in this place. It just felt as though it suited.

The bell over the door dinged and Shinji leaned on the counter before he snorted at the kids that entered. He called them brats but he had been thinking about his golden years. The years he had been their age and the world had been hell.

“Bro!” Kaku dropped onto the seat he always took. He was slightly shaking and his eyes were wide and wild. Adrenaline. These brats. “The usual please!”

“Put it on the tab.” Kenji tried to joke. Shinji gave him a look and Kenji snickered. “Just joking! We have the money. Things were good today!” He crowed. He and Kaku gave loud cackles as the various brats settled around Shinji’s shop. “The usual! Something tasty and something warm.”

“How about some cold water to cool that hot head?” Shinji muttered. That only made the brats laugh harder. “What happened today? In fact. where did you brats park?”

“Not outside.” Kaku snorted as Shinji handed him a bowl of noodles. He shook his head when Kaku began to dump various things on it. “Too hot for that. Cops popped up after the race! We had to go through the warehouse district! I feel I got scrapped to hell and back.”

“Better have paint to replace than be sitting in jail.” Kenji shot back. “Man one those cops were so persistent. He changed vehicles on us! One minute he’s in the slow ass car. Next thing we know that bastard’s on a bike! If we didn’t swing behind the district and head up the ramp before going underground? We wouldn’t be here Aragaki-san.”

“I’m sure I’d see you.” Shinji snorted. “In the court section of the papers.” That brought laughter to all the brats. As for Shinji he considered what he had just heard before he gave a low laugh. “You guys should hurry up and leave. Cops like to eat here too.” He laughed at the groans from the brats. Troublemakers all of them. It was cute.

X

“I’m tired.” Aki dropped his head on the counter and his hat slumped off. “Those stupid brats. Street racing isn’t cute!” Shinji snickered as he made the way to the front of his shop. He flipped the sign from open to closed and flipped the lights. The dimness of the shop was suited. “This isn’t funny Shinji.

“Street racing.” Shinji murmured as he took a seat next to Aki. He paused for a few moments as he considered Aki’s uniform. “Did you chase them down on a bike by any chance?” Aki’s body tensed and Shinji chuckled.

“You- how do you know?” Aki murmured. “Shinji?” He met his gaze before he murmured. “Do you know something I don’t?”

“Those brats come in here. They told me.” Shinji laughed softly. “They call you persistent. I agree.”

“You know them?” Aki hissed. “Those little dangerous brats! They have records every single one of them! I don’t even know how they got away! I was too slow to catch up so I called for someone to meet me and switch me out with a bike. Then when they were pulling stunts and running around that shady warehouse district they vanished!”

“I shouldn’t tell you.” Shinji laughed softly before he took up Aki’s hat. “But they escaped through the sewers. There are a few tunnels in there. Moment you’re in that’s it. You’re safe but newbies can get lost in there. If you know it well enough you can get ten miles out before you need to come up to the surface again. That’s dangerous though. Pitch black down there. You need to know the sewers. A few races require you to go there.” Shinji murmured. “Only hardcore dare devil brats would go down there and risk being lost or worse.”

“How.” Aki groaned. “Do you know so much?”

“I’m a cook. We hear gossip all the time.” Shinji tilted Aki’s hat before he leaned in to gently kiss his cheek. “And when it comes to stuff that I feel you might get caught up in. I tend to ask a few questions. I like to know what you’re dealing with. Besides, I wanted to know if those kids were over their heads or not.”

“Ugh.” Aki sighed before he leaned close. “I don’t want to think about those brats again. I’ll give them the lecture of a lifetime eventually. Right now I want food.” Shinji shifted and Aki caught his hand. “And you.”

“Coming right up.” Shinji murmured before he brushed his lips over Aki’s. “No problem.”


End file.
